Irish Safety Picks Off Huge Piece Of Action

Notre Dame 31, Florida State 24

An Interception By Winter Haven's John Covington Led To A 14-point Cushion For Notre Dame.

November 14, 1993|By Larry Guest of The Sentinel Staff

SOUTH BEND, IND. — Beaten FSU coach Bobby Bowden said the difference in Saturday's 31-24 loss to Notre Dame was the margin of turnovers - none by the perfectly executing Irish and two by his Seminoles.

The largest of those was recorded by a Central Floridian who got away from FSU in the recruiting wars four years ago. Winter Haven native John Covington picked off a pass by Charlie Ward in the second period to set up a touchdown that opened a daunting, 14-point cushion.

Trailing, 14-7, Ward scrambled out of his own end zone and spotted Kevin Knox running free behind the Irish secondary. Ward's heave against a 20-mph wind stalled, giving strong safety Covington a chance to recover and make the interception at the Seminoles' 45.

''I saw the ball flutter a little, and I thought I could get to it,'' Covington said. ''I didn't think he'd be able to get the ball all the way to Knox.''

It was Covington's second interception this season and the fifth of his Irish career.

Covington's 7-yard return, combined with an FSU personal foul on the play, gave the Irish a golden (dome) opportunity at the 23-yard line. Four plays later, senior two-way performer Jeff Burris popped through for a 7-yard touchdown that provided Notre Dame a 21-7 halftime lead. It was the first time in two years FSU had gone to the locker room nursing a hickey on the scoreboard, and this one was too great even for Ward's remarkable, late-game heroics.

Covington gave part of the credit for the victory to the unexpected motivational ploy by his coach, Lou Holtz. Usually a poor-mouther, Holtz spent all week telling his players how much confidence he had in them and predicting they would play their best game of the season.

Holtz said he adopted the ploy after watching a TV documentary on Dwight Eisenhower that quoted Ike as saying an army without a confident commander could not obtain victory.

Covington, having grown up in Florida, said beating FSU was extra sweet. The Seminoles, along with Notre Dame and a score of other top college programs, competed for his services. But one of 20 children, Covington said he ''had to get out of the state.''

He has maintained friendships with some of his high school teammates and opponents, including FSU tailback William Floyd. The two found one another after Saturday's game and had this exchange: